Ohio State Treasurer Robert Sprague is leaning hard into election fights in a new campaign ad, telling voters he will scrap ballot drop boxes if they hand him the keys to the secretary of state’s office.
Sprague’s spot, released ahead of the May 5 primary, ties that promise to a broader to-do list on voting rules and a clear signal of loyalty to former President Donald Trump. The ad crystallizes a long-simmering battle over how Ohioans can return absentee ballots, a dispute that has already driven rule changes and court fights in recent election cycles.
In the clip, Sprague looks into the camera and says, "As Ohio’s secretary of state, I’ll support President Trump, I’ll ditch the drop boxes, and I’ll verify American citizenship for new voter registrations," according to Cleveland.com. The Ohio Republican Party has already lined up behind him.
Democrats in the race wasted no time pushing back. State Rep. Allison Russo labeled the drop-box plan "an absurd proposal that is based on voting misinformation about fraud in our elections," per the same Cleveland.com report. The ad lands as part of a broader GOP effort this cycle to roll back or tighten mail-ballot practices in states around the country.
What Ohio Law Requires
Ohio law already lays out in detail how ballot drop boxes can be used and watched. Under Section 3509.05 of state law, every county board of elections can maintain a single secure drop box on its own property. The statute requires video surveillance of that receptacle, that those recordings be treated as public records, and that a bipartisan team collect ballots from the box at least once daily and again at 7:30 p.m. on Election Day.
During the early-voting period, county boards must also send daily drop-box counts to the secretary of state. The full list of rules and safeguards is spelled out in Ohio Revised Code.
How Many Voters Use Drop Boxes
Despite the political fireworks, drop boxes are hardly a fringe option. In the first 16 days of early voting before the May 5 primary, the secretary of state’s office reported that roughly 8,400 ballots were returned via county drop boxes, nearly 6% of absentee ballots cast in that window, according to Cleveland.com.
The pattern held in November 2024, when drop boxes collected about 154,430 ballots, also around 6% of all absentee voting, per Cleveland.com. Those numbers come from the daily reports that counties already send to the secretary of state and now sit at the center of both criticism and defense of drop-box rules.
Election officials say the boxes are a practical tool for people who work long hours, students juggling schedules, and anyone who does not want to gamble on the mail when deadlines are tight.
Local Officials Push Back
County election leaders and boards argue they already treat drop boxes as secure, routine infrastructure that voters know how to use. In Cuyahoga County, the Board of Elections notes on its website that it maintains a 24-hour secure drop box at its office and has used ballot collection locations for more than a decade, according to the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections.
Democratic contender Bryan Hambley and other elections specialists caution that sweeping claims of widespread drop-box fraud remain unproven and risk undermining public trust in the system, pointing to both county guidance and coverage from WOSU.
What Would It Take To End Drop Boxes?
Turning Sprague’s campaign line into reality would not be as simple as flipping a switch. Wiping out drop boxes statewide would require fresh action from the General Assembly or an aggressive directive from a future secretary of state that pushes the limits of existing law. Either route would almost certainly invite legal challenges.
Republicans who favor stricter limits on mail voting say such changes would close what they view as weak spots in the system. County officials and Democrats counter that the safeguards written directly into law, such as surveillance cameras, bipartisan collection teams, and mandatory reporting, already do the job.
The argument tracks earlier debates over mail voting and ballot handling under current Secretary of State Frank LaRose, including his moves and policy discussions described by the Statehouse News Bureau.
For voters, if Sprague’s promise is ever written into policy, it would reshape how thousands of Ohioans return absentee ballots and could put new hurdles in the way for some. Whether that happens will be decided at the ballot box, in the Statehouse or in court, depending on which campaigns and lawmakers can line up the support. With the May 5 primary bearing down, the fight over convenience versus security is not going anywhere.
